The present invention relates to "memory access" or "data regeneration" methods and apparatus, and more particularly, to novel methods and apparatus for storing plural data within a predetermined range of a memory with electrically diffusing each data and convoluting each electrically diffused data.
With conventional systems, for example computer systems, robot control systems and the like, a memory and a memory access apparatus are widely employed to suit the demand for storing a very large quantity of data.
A magnetic memory device such as a magnetic tape, magnetic disc and bubble memory and a semiconductor memory device such as a bucket brigade device and a charge coupled device are widely employed as the memory because these devices have the advantages that a large memory capacity can easily be obtained and that writing into, reading out and erasing of data can easily be performed, and the like.
A data storing system for the memory devices stores specific data at a specific address of the memory device. The disadvantages that arise are that an average retrieval time for reading desired data out from the memory is lengthened, and processing speed of the system as a whole is lowered further as a result of increasing quantities of data which are storted in the memory device. The disadvantage that also arises is that data in a partial region of the memory device cannot be regenerated when the partial region of the memory device is destroyed because specific data is stored at a specific address of the memory device.
It is known that an error correction code is added to a series of data for regenerating partial data when the partial data are damaged. When the number of bits which are to be corrected is increased, the error correction code is lengthened. As a result, the disadvantage that arises is that the quantity of data which are stored in the memory is decreased. When the number of bits which are to be corrected is increased, the error correction processing becomes, complicated. As a result, the disadvantage that also arises is that the processing speed of the system as a whole is lowered.
A hologram memory is proposed which stores a large quantity of data as holograms by applying Fourier transformation, optically. When the hologram memory is employed, redundancy of the stored information can be increased so as to regenerate the original data with fairly high accuracy when the stored information is partially damaged. But the disadvantage that arises is that not only a laser beam source having strong output power is required, but also transforming circuitry for transforming light signals to electric signals and vice versa are needed so as to complicate the arrangement of the system as a whole, and to result in a higher cost.